


Traveller

by convenience



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Ben Is a Good Bro, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, F/M, Like so much, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Referenced prostitution, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, The Author Regrets Nothing, Time Travel, dry comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-04 11:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17897855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convenience/pseuds/convenience
Summary: The Umbrella Academy gets another shot at saving the world, but what's going to stop them from doing it again?





	1. Trash Talk

Klaus groaned as he walked towards the bin, focused on rifling through the pearl box to find something worth pawning - all he found was boring papers and nothing he could pawn. Ben was trailing behind him, murmuring that he shouldn’t do it. Klaus was in no mood to listen though, seeing as his father had died for a second time and he was none the richer. He was still horribly poor and he still wanted to get high.

The rain started to pour and Klaus groaned, running a hand through his hair. He put his little umbrella up and carried on walking through the alleyway, flinging the red book out of the ornate box straight into the dumpster. It didn’t make a sound, though, only a soft thump against what sounded like a cushion. Or, knowing his luck, a dead body.

Klaus looked up to see a dark haired figure with a weathered leather jacket over what looked like a Queen shirt. He almost regretted hitting them, because they looked like they could possibly score him some weed. They were also quite attractive, but that didn’t matter very much. He went to speak to the stranger, but they were busy looking over his shoulder. Klaus looked back to see what they were looking at, but all he could see was Ben, smirking and giving them a wave.

“Hey, Ben. This Klaus?” They asked, running a hand through their messy hair and hopping off of the bin, their ankles aching with the impact, their boots were worn but they still held everything together, and there were no holes nor discomforts. They were like a second skin over their socks and they felt naked without them.

“This is Klaus.” Ben nodded, noticing how the stranger had stuffed the book in their tattered rucksack whilst Klaus checked behind him. He wondered how long it would take his brother to realise that the stranger was able to see Ben, because at the moment he just seemed confused, if anything.

“Wait, hang on. I’m not high, because you’re here, but you’re talking to Ben. Wait, Ben, are you actually alive? Have you been fucking with me this whole time?” Klaus gasped, stepping back, looking frazzled as he desperately looked between the two. “No, because of the bowling ball incident.”

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Klaus. You’re not the only medium here, and I’ve met Ben before.” They chuckled. “By the way, you might want those papers back. Someone getting their hands on them wouldn’t be good.”

“Oh, what do you know—I’ve done this bit before, and all I have to do is sell the box so I can score some weed. You wouldn’t happen to sell anything, would you? You do have the…look,” he told them with a hum, using his hands to articulate—he could practically sense Ben facepalming. “Oh, shut up, Ben,” he muttered, after turning slightly to confirm his suspicions.

“No, I don’t sell weed. Thank you. Now that I’ve found out that I have the look of a drug dealer, I’m going to go actually find one. I’ll see you when he gets high, yeah?” They huffed softly, their bag shuffling as they fist bumped Ben and then nodded at Klaus before walking off down the opposite direction of the alley. The two brothers watched them leave, Klaus incredibly confused as the stranger disappeared into another lane.

After Klaus had pawned the box, and got suitably high in his bedroom, he looked over at Ben with a dazed hum. “Benny boy. Who was that girl? With the jacket. The dealer.”

“They’re not a dealer, Klaus” Ben rolled his eyes, sitting at the end of the bed, legs dangling off of the side “I talk to them in limbo when you’re high or asleep. My first friend who isn’t you for a long time, actually. Anyway, Klaus, they’re actually…a lot. So if you can make sure not to say anything too stupid to them before they can warm up to you, that’d be nice” 

“I called her a drug dealer, how much more wrong can I do? Call her a prostitute?” He laughed, smoking his cigarette as he leant back on his bedframe. “Honestly.”

“Don’t do that either, fucking hell, Klaus. They’re not even female,” he groaned, then looked towards the door. “Pogo’s coming, might be worth stubbing your cigarette.” 

“Nah. He knows what I’m like. Come in, sweet sweet Pogo!” Klaus called with a holler, opening his arms dramatically—the pink boa around his neck really did add dramatic effect, in all honesty.

Pogo came in, his hunched frame making him seem a lot more demure than he actually was. “Master Klaus, a certain box containing extremely important contents have disappeared from your father’s study. Would you know anything of it? If you did, and you got it back, no consequence would follow,” he told the young addict, eyes dropping to the cigarette. “Make sure to put that out when you’re done with it.”

“I have no idea what you’re on about, Pogo, but I will sort the cigarette out when I am done. How important are those documents, then? Out of interest,” he asked, sticking his tongue out at Ben, who had rolled his eyes and gave him a pointed look. 

“Incredibly important, Master Klaus. I do believe that Miss Vanya knows how important the book is, if you were in want to ask her,” Pogo told him softly. “If that is all, Master Klaus, I shall be on my way.”

“That is all, see you, Pogues,” Klaus called, watching him leave. Once he was sure that the monkey butler was gone, he looked at Ben. “Dude, what the fuck am I going to do? Was that the book that Harold had?”

“Yes.” Ben sighed, running a hand over his face, nearly going to give up on being his guardian. “I did tell you.”

“And when the fuck have I ever listened? It’ll show up.” Klaus shrugged, stubbing his cigarette on his bedside and flicking it out of the window behind his head.

“Really? You think it’s just going to ‘show up’? Klaus, you need to look for it!” Ben told him. “You could be singlehandedly causing the apocalypse! Again!”

“Fine! We’ll go out tomorrow morning, and we’ll go through the garbage. Is that okay? Now, I’m going to sleep, feel free to visit that weird ghost girl,” he huffed, closing his eyes and quickly drifting off, which was lucky, because a few hours and a trip to limbo later Ben began loudly singing.

“When I was...” Ben began with a smirk, loudly hollering to awake his brother. It was six am, and he had told his friend that they would be at the bin soon enough. The medium had apparently taken to his disaster of a brother, and was debating giving up the book. It had been a while since Ben had had some fun, and it would do Klaus well to learn a lesson or two. “A young boy, Klaus! My father!”

“Was an abusive shit, now, shut the fuck up,” Klaus groaned, banging his head against the wall. “Oh, is this about the dumpster? Fuck’s sake! Get your friend to do it.”

“No, Klaus. Get the fuck up!” Ben shouted, now standing on the bed. “If you don't find that, you are fucked, and so I am I, because I'm stuck with you!”

“I'll get high, and then you can go talk to Bin Girl!” Klaus groaned, now sitting up and reaching blindly for a cigarette.

“They're not a girl, and they don't live in a bin,” Ben sighed. “Now, get up. Now. Now. Now! Now! No—”

“Fine,” Klaus huffed, getting up and throwing on a dress with the carpet patch coat. “Can we get waffles at least?”

“After,” Ben told him, walking down the stairs with him, and bullying him out of the house towards the dumpster. Being a ghost had its upsides, but really, he’d do practically anything to feel rain on his face or hug his mom again. Anything. 

“You’re back,” A voice called, the figure still on the bin “So, you realised that you shouldn’t have thrown that book? Or are you rifling through the bins for something valuable? Cuz I’ve already rifled through and there’s nothing there.” 

“Dignified, wow. Rifling through bins? How could you lower yourself to this,” Klaus began on a tirade, making Ben roll his eyes as they walked closer. The stranger hopped off of the bin and gave their friend a hug before looking at Klaus with a sense of ridicule.

“Klaus, sweetheart, I have heard literally everything about you. I like you, but don’t be a cunt. Anyway, you looking for that book or nah?” They asked, zipping up their jacket. “I’m Traveller, by the way.”

“Traveller? And is that a male or a female name, may I ask, because my dickhead of a brother says you’re not a woman, and he does like to make me look stupid,” he asked them, walking closer to them, using his hands to explain the predicament he was in. The fur on the loose cuffs of his coat really made him look dramatic.

“First of all, the name is gender neutral, second of all, your dickhead of a brother is right. I’m not a woman, or a man. Just a time traveller. Think Doctor Who,” they explained, rolling her eyes at Ben, who was dying to make a comment. “Go on, you idiot”

“Is Traveller the best you could come up with?” He laughed. “Really? You literally had all the time in the world and you chose that? I preferred Leather.”

“Yes. Listen, I’ve had so many names, I’ve been called everything at least once—Leather? The only benefits to that one were the amount of girls it got me. I’m here with an actual motive this time, so I thought I’d be a bit more professional,” they told Ben, ignoring Klaus for a second as they talked to their friend.

“Anyway. Benny boy wouldn’t stop annoying the fuck out of me to try and find that box, so, is it in there?” Klaus asked, lighting a cigarette.

“I don’t know, why don’t you check? I’m going to go do something productive.” Traveller shrugged, fist bumping Ben and then beginning to walk off in the direction of the Hargreaves mansion whilst the two brothers argued in the dumpster.

The book, and all of the stray papers, were safe in a poly pocket in their bag. They were aware of how important the documents were, especially as they cared about Ben and his family. Oh, and the rest of the world. They knocked on the door, but got no reply, only the sound of creaking from a little too-firm knocking on her part. Door now open, they stepped inside, the hall eerie and grand.

“Hello? I’ve come to return something. I’m a friend of Ben’s,” they announced, not wanting to leave the book there without knowing someone good had gotten it. Five would recognise them, maybe, if they explained what and who they were. When Five was an agent, they were the one assignment he had never been able to complete.

“Ben’s dead,” came a rough voice, a man wrapped in leather and… spandex? walked down the stairs to meet the person, sending a knife at the door to shut it and then one just grazing her hair.

“Yeah. How do you think I know him,” they responded dryly, crossing their arms as Diego got closer. Traveller only realised they were in danger when they felt a spike of pain in the back of their head and heard their body hit the floor.

Their eyes opened and they were outside their body. They could see Klaus and Ben walking through. “Ben! Klaus!” They screamed, trying to get their attention “Get me back! If all of me is in limbo too long I am fucked.”

“Guys! Have we decided not to go for ‘baddies’ and decided to go for my friends? Fuck’s sake! Luther, is this really necessary? Not everyone who looks like me is a druggie, you know.” He kept the commentary going as he pried the armour that had fallen on top of Ben’s friend and hauled them onto the table. “Fuck, they’re light!”

“Klaus, what is happening, man?” Diego asked, confused as he dragged the pliant body across the floor “How does she know Ben?”

“I don’t know! But you can see her, and Ben can talk to her and touch her, so she’s basically a witch. Think she lives in a dumpster,” Klaus mused, running the tap cold and throwing a teatowel in to collect the cold “If we were in a book, where we were ex superheroes who had monumentally fucked up their lives, and someone showed up in a bin, it might be worth paying attention to her—Oh wait, we are! So help me revive garbage girl.”

“You’re fucking insane. No.” Luther shook his head, walking through and standing by the table they were currently laying on, Klaus applying a cold teatowel to their forehead. “She could have been sent. By the commission.”

“The commission?” Five asked, walking through with his coffee “They’re a lot slower than whatever you’re thinking. Klaus, why is there a body on the table? If you need to hide it, I can hide the body in the 1700s.”


	2. Hostage

Their eyes opened to a circle of people - four of whom they recognised. Traveller tried to move, but their hands were bound to their sides and their legs bound to the chair legs. “Ben, when I said help me out, I did not mean get me tied to a chair! Kinky, but unappreciated. Hello, everyone, by the way.”

“Sorry man, they’re paranoid as shit. Didn’t go through your stuff, though,” Ben shrugged, sitting next to Klaus on the floor “Should probably stop talking to me, they think Klaus is the only one in the world who can see me.”

They nodded and then looked around “So, why am I tied up?” The taller one, Luther, narrowed his eyes at them and they knew that they had assumed correctly. He practically radiated authority issues.

“Well, you showed up, in our house, as a total stranger, and started talking about our dead brother. What would you do, ‘Traveller’? Nice fake name, by the way, it’s like you’re not even trying,” Luther hissed, Five still staring at them intensely as if he had telekinesis and was trying to shatter them.

“Well, first, I’d wonder when I got a brother. Then I’d wonder when he died. Then I’d wonder when I got a house. Five, if you could stop trying your hardest to stare me into oblivion, that’d be fucking perfect.” They replied sarcastically, rolling their eyes.

“Do you think this is funny?” Diego asked, holding a knife to their throat as he stormed closer, his voice tense and angry. 

“Yeah. Wanna know why?” They spat back, glaring back into Diego’s eyes “Five’s only just figuring out who I am, and when he does, he’s either going to be really fucking relieved, or he’s going to kill me. I don’t recommend the second one, though, because you’ve managed to fuck up the apocalypse two times, and you’re on the path to fucking it up another time.”

“I’m surprised the Commision hasn’t found and killed you yet, you know,” Five spoke up “You’re so careless with what you do - might be worth changing your outfit once in a century.”

“Says you - you look like the pope’s wet dream. So, I take it you’re not going to complete your mission and fully kill me? Because someone did, bloody hell, what did you drop on me? An anvil?” Traveller asked, tugging against the bonds and then coming to the stunning realisation that they didn’t have to stay tied up. Could they be bothered to reveal what they could do? Nah.

“A suit of armour, actually. Nice one, Luther.” Klaus laughed, running a hand through his fringe.

“What do you have? I’ll untie you if you tell me everything.” Five bargained, crossing his arms “Of course, I already know most of everything, but I need some gaps filling in. The apocalypse doesn’t seem like your issue.”

“Five, it’s the apocalypse, of course it’s their issue - It’s everyone’s issue” Vanya butted in, having kept in the back for a while, studying the unconscious girl.

“Gender neutral pronouns - I like you. You must be Vanya.” Traveller nodded at her with a hum, then looked at Five, who was looking desperate for answers. “Alright - it’s not my issue, you care about the world a lot more than me. I just like showing up in old photos, you know me. I’ve been kicking around limbo for a while, and Ben managed to convince me to help you lot.”

“What makes you think we need your help? You’re just some crazy lady who lives in a bin,” Luther told them, crossing his unbelievably thick arms across his chest “You look like it.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, He-Man.” They bit back, anger building in their veins “And for the last fucking time, I do not live in a bin, I am not a woman, and I don’t do half the shit you think I do. Five, Ben, you probably have accurate ideas, but the rest of you have no idea what I do or who the fuck I am. ‘Traveller’? Nice fake name, by the way, it’s not like you’re even trying’ Let’s look at you, then, superboy? Cause I could tell you things not even family would dare to be honest about. Five is right, I have no cause for helping you, so I’ll be going” They worked up the energy to teleport a few foot behind them and did so, ignoring the queasy feeling they got after - their skills were rusty “Now, where’s my fucking bag.”

“Luther, leave. Allison, Vanya, Diego, leave. Now. Klaus, stay” Five ordered, holding Traveller’s bag in his hand “I need to talk to Traveller, and you need to stop upsetting them.”

They trudged out until it was just the four - Five, Klaus, Ben, and Traveller. Five nodded at the armchair and Traveller sat down after taking their bag. 

“How do I know you’re not faking it, huh? What do you have” Five asked, a little less tightly wound now that his siblings had gone.

“I have the contents of the box - last time, that’s what doomed you. I watched it happen, and I watched it go wrong. All I want to do is to give someone the stuff, and then go about my life.” They explained, rummaging through their bag.

“Or, you could stay. You piss Luther off, and I need to learn how to handle the voices.” Klaus hummed, not sure why he was trying to convince her to stay.

“It would mean that you’d be easier to contact - no doubt you’ve no interest in giving us your address when you won’t keep a name for more than a year” Five hummed “We’ll think about it. Show me the contents.”

Traveller passed him the poly pocket “I found it in the dumpster, no idea who dropped it in there, but I got it.” They were well aware of who, why, how and when, but who were they to rat out their new friend, Ben’s brother?

“Right. Looks to be the real deal. Any idea of how to tackle Vanya’s powers?” Five asked “I’m not going to sit here, pretend that you’ve not been smart enough to evade me for half a century and not ask if you had any ideas.”

“Treat her like a human, first off. Make sure she knows how to harness her power, and make sure she’s secure in it! She was scared last time, and you’d have to be stupid to not get why. If she was happy within herself and believed she could control her power? Different outcome.” They explained, smiling slightly as both Klaus and Ben nodded.

“We get killed twice as quick, that’s the difference in outcome. You, too, if you get stuck!” He argued, his black coffee now cold and in his opinion? Undrinkable.

“First of all, I never get stuck. That’s an insult. Second of all, trust me! I grew up with child psychologists as parents, and I’ve seen this happen so many times. Kid is never loved, never held, never acknowledged, and anger builds, and builds, and builds, until they find a gun. Then it’s Elliot Rogers, it’s Columbine, it’s Parkland, yeah? Same situation. All Vanya needs is care, and trust. I trust her, and she’s said one sentence to me.” They told him, sitting up as they explained, eyes alight with something like passion, hands moving as they elaborated. One thing about travelling through time was that they saw every school shooting twice, every natural disaster thrice, and had no ability to do anything. For once they could change disaster.

“Alright. For a criminal, you’re extremely smart.” Five commented, setting the poly pocket on the table.

“Same could be said about you. Klaus, I assume you live in chateau asshole? It is a pretty place.” Traveller looked around, adjusting their boots. 

“I live in the moment.” Klaus replied, standing up and making a grand twirl before picking up the poly pocket. “Yes.”

“Is Traveller another codename, Leather? Or did your parents just really fuck up in the name department.” Five asked dryly, brewing himself some black coffee “Coffee?”

“Yes, yes, and yes.” Traveller nodded “Can’t say much though, can you? You’re a number. Not even a cool number.” They teased, winking at Ben and Klaus.

“You manage to be a world renowned criminal and yet you still think that there are cool and uncool numbers… pity.” He muttered, handing them a mug of black coffee and sitting back down “Either that or Klaus has indoctrinated you.”

“No, no. You have to stay a little bit fun, otherwise, what’s the point?” They shrugged, making Klaus nod.

“They get it!” Klaus laughed shallowly “If we were all ‘oh I have to save the world and do this brooding leader thing whilst doing it’ then there’d be no fun in the world!”

“If we all have fun, we all end up like you and Leather. Both absolute maniacs - bet Klaus has no idea how much stress you caused everyone,” Five practically hissed - he had gotten most of his grey hairs because of them.

“Oh, please. I was just having fun, no harm done! Plus, you were part of the Commission then, so you deserved it.” They defended, high fiving Klaus, who was laughing “Seriously, Klaus, you should have seen it! There’s so much conspiracy about me, and I’m in books!”

“Ooh, can I get an autograph?” Klaus asked, waving his hands excitedly and wrapping his arms around her shoulders momentarily “Five, Ben, they’re a celebrity!”

Traveller let out a laugh, rolling her eyes “I see why Ben thought we’d get on. Never thought I’d meet someone as dramatic as me.”

“And yet, here we are, two of the most annoying people in the world in the same living room,” Five stated dryly, his voice laden with sarcasm. “Yay”

Eventually Five left, giving Traveller a strong warning not to try anything, and they were left alone with Klaus and Ben. 

“How did you know about the book?” Klaus asked, messing with the fastenings on his coat. He was grateful that they’d not let it go to Harold, after he had realised what that would have meant.

“Ben. He told me everything, and it’s why I was at the bins each time - you couldn't have picked somewhere warmer or cleaner? Or at least not at five o’clock in the morning,” They asked rhetorically, laying sidewards over the armchair.

“Oh. Well, thanks for not dropping me in it, anyway - they’re all real tight asses around here! Ben’s the only cool one.” Klaus explained, looking over at Ben, who was sitting right next to him on the lounge.

“It’s alright, snitches get stitches, you know. Don’t really know how you do it in America, but I assume it’s not that different.” Traveller shrugged, looking at Klaus and Ben, still tired from the hostage situation she had been in. “So, I know everyone here has to be slightly messed up, but the big one, I’m getting extreme issues from him… so violent.”

“Luther just likes being the leader. We’re all a bit fucked, really. I get harassed by strange dead people, Ben’s dead, Diego’s got a knife kink, Allison would be the best manipulator in the world, Five’s cranky and actually like fifty nine, and Luther’s obsessed with the moon. Could be a lot worse.” Klaus explained, hands moving erratically as he explained his family.  
“Could it? Could it really?” They laughed, tying their hair up and then looking back over at the two brothers.

“Yeah, one of us could be an addict.” Ben stated simply, making Klaus gasp, gently swatting him and going straight through him. It was a bittersweet action, because of course, his brother was just being playful, but it served as another reminder that he was dead, Very, very dead.

“He’s a pretty addict, though, and there’s always time to get clean.” Traveller replied, braiding their hair and tying it up on their head. “Always time”

“But that would require effort.” Ben rolled his eyes as he replied to them, looking over at Klaus, waiting for a reply. He was hoping that someone new wanting him to quick may encourage him.

“I could get clean! Someone would just have to tie me up to make sure I didn’t relapse, ‘s all.” Klaus excused himself, nearly swatting Ben again but remembering the look on his face after he had the last time.

“Gladly.” Traveller winked, then stood up “I better go, make sure no-one’s broken into my apartment. I’ll see you soon, Ben you know where to find me. Klaus, I’m serious about tying you up if that’s what you need to get better. But also, for fun.” They added and then walked out of the lounge with a wave, leaving Ben slightly disgusted and Klaus lost for words.


End file.
